Story of Iva from Kharkiv

“If there were no barriers, if there were no such difficulties, life would be so much easier and you wouldn’t have to put on a superhero costume every day to do simple things.” – The story of Iva and her son

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine erupted, Iva was forced to confront her greatest fear: fleeing in a world she could barely hear. With only minutes to prepare, she and her son embarked on a harrowing escape, relying on his voice to navigate the chaos. Their journey took them to Germany, where Iva faced new challenges, including isolation from language barriers and the struggle to obtain a cochlear implant. Despite the kindness of strangers, she battled guilt over leaving Ukraine and faced criticism from those who remained.
Watch the video to discover how Iva and her son adapted to life in a new country and what they dream of now. Even with her cochlear implant, Iva’s journey towards full integration continues, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by people with disabilities, especially in times of crisis.

Credits

Concept and Direction – Carina Spreitzer
Production – Austausch e.V. | dim filmhouse | Daria Lukashenko
Lead production dimfilmhouse – Eric Holland
Lead production Austausch e.V. – Nataliia Zviagintseva
Camera and Sound Germany – Andrej Matalyha
Camera and Sound Ukraine – Tetiana Dorodnitsyna
Postproduction Coordination – Carina Spreitzer
Cut – Anastasiia Lukova
Colour Correction and Grading – Oleksandr Shuklin
Sounddesign and Master – Marcos Leiro
Music – Marcos Leiro
Subtitles – Nataliia Zviagintseva | Carina Spreitzer
Sign language – Iryna Ternova
Dubbing to Ukrainian – Natalka Sopit and Kyrylo Bondarenko
Set-Runner Germany – Nikita Znak
Set-Runner Ukraine – Borys Viktiuk

This video was produced within the project “Barrier-free Safety for People with Disabilities”, which is the part of INKuLtur-Programme implemented by Austausch e.V. together with Eastern Partnership countries funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.